The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1887-12-07
Captain Santa Claus.

There was unusual connection In the
frontier mining town when the red stage, |
snow.covered and storm beaten, lurched
M in front of the Bell Union and began |
to disgorge passengers and mail Inc |
cosmopotli an type viii rich and re-
Gently discovered "leada' so surely at
tract: tough-looking miners; devil-may-
care cowboys with rall'"g hat-brms and
harbaric display OF Il ally weapons;
choice coierie of gal lers with exag-
geratcd suavity Of manners; several i'm
passive Cinnamon (seiv clean); several
loailng Indians very dirty; brace OF
spruce. clean shaver, trim-bult soldiers
from the garrison down the valley; and
the inevitable squad of beats with
blcary eyes and wolllsh faces infesting
the doorways of the saloons. sublmely
trustful of a community that had long
ceased 10 trust them, and seeming
eleemosynary possibilities in each new
comet.
But while the arrival of the stage was
a source OF perennial excitement 10 the
business centre Of Argentopolis, the COM
motion on this occasion was due to the
tumul,uous welcome given by mob OF
school-children "a n tall, bronlcd, tiercely
mustached party the instant he stepped,
fur-clad, from the dark interior such
an array of eager Joyous little faces one
! seldom sees. Big boys and wee madens,
they threw themselves upon him with
/ shriil clamor aud enthusiastic embraces,
swarmn@ about his legs as, with twink
/ ling eyes aud genial greeting, he lifted
/ the little ones high in air and kissed
their dimpled checks, and shook the
struggling boys heartily by the hand,
aud was pulled this way and that way
until eventually borne off in triumph to-
ward the spick-span new shop, with its
gltterng white trout and allnring dis
play Of fruit, pastry and confectionery
all heralded forth under the grandiloquent
but deiusive sign, Bald Eagle Bakery"
Upon this tumutuous reception Ar
gentopolis gazed for some moments in
wondering silence. When the transfer
of the children and their willing captive
10 point some dozen yards away render
ed conversation possibility, the spokes
man of the sidewalk committee shftet
his quid, and formulated in frontier phast
the question which seemed uppermost il
the public mind WHOM thunders that?
THAT" said the soldier addressed
'That's Captain Ransom. It's good time
the kidsll be having now"
"Blong to your regiments"
"Yes; Captain of b troop Beef
away ON leave ever since We got here
'.Seems fond o Children" said tn
Argentopolian, retectiyely, Loot any o
his own?'
Mary. He b'longs to the whole crowd
The b campany fellers II be glad he
back. They think as much of him as tn
kids do
Good officer, eh?"
"You bet; amt no better in the ca,
airy
At this unequivocal endorsement fror
expert authority the eyes of Argentopoli
again followed the big man in the fl
overcoat. With three of four young
sters Juggling at each hand, and a doze
, revolving irregularly about him, he VIZ
strding across the street, keeping up
running fire of chatter with his thron:
ing satellites Soldier he was unque
tionably. Tall, erect of carriage, broa
of shoulder, deep of chest, with keel
quick glance from under his heavy brow
Eyes full of light and fire, nose straigl
and prominent, a great mustache tn
hid the curves of his handsome mout
), and swept out across the square al
reSoute jaws--a mustache that, like Il
wayy brown hair about the temples, WI
tingeing with gray. Strong white tee
, glstened through the dropping thatc
and one or two merry dimples dotted h
bronzcd and weathcrbeaten checks
From CAPTAIN CHARLES KINGS stor
Captain Santa Cha 5, in Hlrper'S Mug
} =iHe for December